节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-05-07
难易度:Medium
关键字:lump, snatch, pickpocket, cuastious
Well, we're on the second day of our lesson Cash, Check or Credit Card.
And we've been learning all about Jo and her experiences traveling abroad and
the ways she likes to pay for things.
She likes to have cash on her for small purchases, but also carry around a
credit card for emergencies as well as having her ATM card with her.
Well, we're going to learn some more about what happens when things get stolen
while you are traveling abroad.
Let's do that now.
Cash, Check or Credit Card?
In Rome, another friend's wallet was stolen from her backpack.
The next day, she caught a pickpocket reaching into her bag and stopped him.
But of course there was nothing left for him to steal.
I learned from their experiences and now try to be especially cautious when I'm
in unfamiliar places.
Careful planning and wise decisions help me worry less about keeping my money
safe and more about having fun!
Well, yes, it is important to plan carefully before you go on a trip somewhere.
OK, so let's continue with this lesson.
Jo says: In Rome, another friend's wallet was stolen from her backpack.
So we already learned about one friend who had something stolen from her.
And then another friend's wallet was taken from her backpack or stolen from this
backpack.
And that's very unfortunate.
Her first friend had her entire backpack stolen.
And then the second friend had her wallet taken out of her backpack when they
were in Rome.
And I think that Steve and Ken want to tell us a little bit about what you do
when you are in Rome.
Hi, friends.
Have you ever been to Rome?
If you have, did you do as the Romans do?
Ken, I think we need to explain to our students that what you just said is
actually a reference to a common expression.
You're right, Steve.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is actually a common saying.
And it usually has nothing to do with Rome or the Romans.
Right.
It just means that when you are visiting a new place, such as Rome, you should
try to follow what the locals do.
Now I remember when I first visited Beijing, a friend took me to a restaurant
and ordered some thousand-year-old eggs.
Now I didn't quite know what to do, so the friend said to me:
Oh, come on, Steve.
Give it a try.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
So I picked one up with my chopsticks and put it in my mouth, and it was
actually not bad.
So this expression is basically saying that one should try to fit in, assimilate
or conform to what is socially acceptable when they're in a new place.
But Steve, do you think this is always a good idea?
Not always!
Remember, just because everyone else is doing something doesn't mean it's right
or that you have to do it, too.
Yes, I agree.
You should exercise your own judgment.
(Chinese).
Very good.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do... unless they are taking your wallet from
your backpack.
Well, let's continue with Jo's story.
The next day, she caught a pickpocket reaching into her bag and stopped him.
Very good.
It sounds like she learned her lesson, Carolyn.
Well, she did, but there's still this "pickpocket." And that's one of the words
from our Word Bank.
It's not a very good thing to have a pickpocket around.
A pickpocket is a person who steals things, usually from people's pockets.
Yeah. That's an easy word to remember because it's like you're picking out of
someone's pocket.
And I've seen TV shows about how pickpockets steal things.
It's very interesting.
They're very clever.
There are many ways to steal.
Of course, you should not steal.
Don't become a pickpocket.
But do be careful that you don't want to have a pickpocket steal something from
you.
Well, Jo continues.
But of course there was nothing left for him to steal.
I like that. It's kind of funny.
It's kind of funny, but it's very unfortunate because she had already had her
wallet stolen the day before by another pickpocket.
So it seems like there are a lot of pickpockets in this area.
And she is an easy target for them.
That's right.
But of course we see a phrase here.
There was nothing left for this person to steal.
You could use that phrase in some other ways, too.
You might say there's nothing left for me to eat.
All of the food is gone.
Or I've said everything I need to say.
There's nothing left for me to say.
Well, Carolyn, how does Jo's story continue?
She says: I learned from their experiences and now try to be especially cautious
when I'm in unfamiliar places.
So Jo was very lucky that she did not have this experience.
She did not have anything stolen from her or have a pickpocket reach into her
bag.
But she did learn from what happened to her friends.
That's right.
She learned from these lessons.
And so now she is cautious.
Let's take a look at that word straight from the Word Bank.
To be cautious means to be careful.
Really, they mean the same thing.
If you are cautious, you are careful.
So how can you be cautious, Carolyn?
Well, you should be cautious when you are planning a trip.
You should really think about where you need to go, where you want to go and how
best to prepare for it.
You should be cautious when you want to travel.
That's right.
And maybe you're traveling by car, traveling on a motorcycle.
You need to be cautious when you are driving these kinds of vehicles because it
can be kind of dangerous when you're traveling in that way.
So be cautious no matter what you do.
And Jo continues:
Careful planning and wise decisions help me worry less about keeping my money
safe and more about having fun!
All right.
So it's important to have careful planning when you are trying to plan a trip.
Now she talks about worrying about two things here, Carolyn.
What's the first thing she worries less about?
Well, she worries less about keeping her money safe.
She doesn't need to do that because she's already thought about it.
She tries to make these wise decisions and be especially cautious when she's
planning where she's going.
That's right.
Now usually I think about worry as thinking about something in a negative way.
You're anxious, you're nervous about something.
You're worried about it.
So you worry less about keeping your money safe.
But she also says she can worry more about having fun.
So this is a great thing.
I wouldn't think of it as worry.
But this is kind of a fun way of writing that she is just going to think about
having fun, not about where her money is or if it is safe.
That's right.
And it is important when you're planning a trip to think about all of the
possible situations that you might face while you're traveling somewhere
unfamiliar.
So it's good to know what it is like in that country or that city that you're
going to.
Are there lots of pickpockets?
Is it a pretty safe place?
What do you need to worry about?
And I hope that you'll worry more about having fun than anything else.
That's right.
Well, it's time for us to have fun right now with a review skit.
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab.
Living abroad is great.
Yes. There are so many opportunities to travel.
But what about money?
Oh, don't worry.
Exchanging currencies isn't a problem.
Most countries here use the Euro.
Yes. But how should I pay, cash, check or credit card?
Deciding how to pay isn't easy.
So what's my safest bet?
Um, traveler's checks.
They're insured and can be replaced free if lost or stolen.
Oh, that is a safe bet.
But cash, an ATM card and credit cards are good, too.
Oh. There are so many choices.
I know.
But here's what I do.
I carry a credit card, ATM card and cash all the time.
Why?
Well, the reason is safety.
My credit card has a high limit.
It's great for emergencies.
That's important.
My ATM card is safer than carrying a lump of cash.
Yeah, safer and less lumpy.
Yes. And a small amount of cash is good for food and souvenirs.
All right.
I'll carry a credit card, ATM card and cash, too.
It's your safest bet.
Oh, no! Someone snatched my backpack.
Oh, no.
Your safest bet wasn't safe enough.
(Music).
(Chinese).
And let's see what our teachers are doing.
Well, we've had fun learning about Jo's experiences traveling with some of her
friends.
Unfortunately, some of them had something stolen from them - a backpack, a
wallet.
There were some pickpockets here and there.
Well, have you ever had anything stolen from you?
And what did you do about it?
How did you feel about that?
Carolyn, has this ever happened to you?
Well, there was a time when I was traveling outside of the U.S., and I needed to
get money from the ATM.
So I went to the ATM, and I made sure no one was watching me.
I got my money, got on the train to go back to my apartment.
And as I'm walking down the street, it's night time, and I'm just talking to my
friend.
And suddenly there's a hand that came between us.
No way!
Someone tried to open my purse and steal the money I had just taken out of the
ATM.
Wait. So did they get the money from you, Carolyn?
They did not because we saw him.
And as soon as he saw us notice him, he turned around and walked away.
Good. I like that.
You didn't let... you didn't let him take any money from you.
I think it's good also to travel with a friend.
Sometimes that can help to keep things safe.
Well, thank you for joining us for today's interesting lesson.
And we hope to see you again next time right here at Studio Classroom.
Goodbye.
See you.